Blinken says diplomacy ‘preferred way’ to resolve Niger crisis

WASHINGTON: Diplomacy is the best option for the international community to deal with the coup crisis in Niger, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.

“Diplomacy is certainly the preferred way of resolving this situation,” he told French Radio RFI.

“It is ECOWAS’ current approach. It is our approach,” he said, referring to the West African bloc’s efforts to reinstate the ousted democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum, who was detained last week.

ECOWAS had warned the military to reinstate Bazoum, a key Western ally, by Sunday night, but the deadline has passed without a response.

Speaking at a press briefing in Washington, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US saw a “window of opportunity” for the coup to end.

“The window of opportunity is definitely still open. We believe that the junta should step aside and let President (Mohamed) Bazoum resume his duties,” he said.

Miller, who noted that military intervention was a “last resort” for ECOWAS, said the United States was “focused on finding a diplomatic solution.”

He also dismissed efforts by Mali and Burkina Faso, both suspended from ECOWAS for their own coups, after they sent their envoys to Niger.

“If we thought they were sending envoys to try to restore democratic leadership and the constitutional order, we would see that as productive and helpful, but I very much doubt that’s the case,” Miller said.